posted at 8:20 pm on February 27, 2008 by Allahpundit

Listen. If you want to play this “secret Muslim” game, just play it. Don’t hide behind faux innocent “we’re only saying the guy’s name” nonsense, like the Tennessee GOP is doing here. If they took that principle seriously it’d be “William Jefferson Clinton” every time instead of the “Bill Clinton” they regularly use.

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I wish he showed members of his own party the kind of respect he insists on showing the other side.

Would he tell Obama “f@#$ you” as he has famously yelled at so many of his fellow republican senators?

While I don’t approve of the ‘hussein gambit’ either, I’m damn tired of McCain bowing and scraping before the dems and the media – he still hasn’t learned a damn thing.

Again, glad he’s taking the high road, I just hope he’s not delusional enough to think that this is really going to be a civil debate – or that taking the high road is going to win him any respect or votes. It just won’t. The people who are impressed with that are already on ‘his side’.

We’re up against a dem team that – with their media buddies – will fight dirty, call him names (and not just use his middle name), will lie, will disparage him, etc.

And I”m damned sick of republicans simply taking it.

Its perhaps a poor analogy, but there’s merit in this, in my opinion.

Its like the bleating that goes on about waterboarding and other aggressive interrogation techniques. “We have to take the high road!”. Well, look guys – this ‘high road’ is fine, but let’s not make it a suicide pact. Our behavior isn’t going to set an example and be a guide that will be used by the other side, here. We aren’t going to elevate the behavior of the dems by ‘playing nice’ – they’re going to be as they always are.

Everytime someone deliberately uses Hussein and chastises the use of Hussein fails, in my opinion. The use of it presumes that the American people are stupid enough to change their opinion of BO because of his middle name. The hysteria over the use of it presumes the exact same thing.

My $0.02

p0s3r on February 27, 2008 at 9:05 PM

I apologize for my friend’s use of BO. We are all aware that Barack Hussein Obama does not have Body Odor, otherwise there would not be that many people around him. I will denounce any Republican that uses the BO “Body Odor” comment in the future.

Why does it matter…for hell sakes it’s a name. As I’ve said earlier I’ve been trying to accept Juan McAmnesty and vote for this blue skinned liberal…not after this crap. That’s playing into political correctness to the hilt…not for me. McShame is spineless liberal…i can’t hold me nose tight enuf. i’ll vote hard right on the rest of the ballot right after i write in Thompson or Willard Mitt Romney.

…But it is going to be one really long campaign if that fear causes him to hold a presser every other day to distance himself from some sector of his “base” that says something stupid. There has to be a better way than this.

Weight of Glory on February 27, 2008 at 8:40 PM

Agreed. I hate when people apologize for things they didn’t do anyway.

I’m also highly suspicious of why McCain’s team invited Bill Cunningham to open the show in the first place. It’s not unlike inviting Michael Savage and then being shocked, shocked when he goes off on some embarrassing tangent.

Frankly, I could see this whole thing having being set up ahead of time just so John Sidney McCain could come out and take the high road.

That being said, it it stupid to keep using Brandy’s middle name. It’s just way too obvious.

The Harridan and Hussein have never stated that 9/11 was an inside job but Rosie and quite a few other of their supporters have. When have they (the Harridan or Hussein) ever tried to put a stop to that like McCain has put a stop to “Hussein!”, “Hussein!”, “Hussein!”, “Hussein!”.

It’s not the candidates making statements, it’s their surrogates. And McCain is shutting his down.

So here is a guy who fought for his country and was truly tortured. A man who, though I can’t stand most of his legislation proposals, loves his country. And now the Times is going to go after his place of birth, to basically bring his citizenship into question. And though the literary guy in me loves the irony of that, I am once again reminded how, no matter what we do, we are always going to be portrayed one way by the national media. We can’t say “Hussein” but they can call the citizenship of a famous POW into question. But hey, at least the RNC is smacking down the Tenn. Republican Party for daring to type his name. Sheesh!

Listen. If you want to play this “secret Muslim” game, just play it. Don’t hide behind faux innocent “we’re only saying the guy’s name” nonsense, like the Tennessee GOP is doing here.
You want to go this route? Own it.

Wish McCain had said that, used those words. I wish he’d said it that way because then I could support it. But what I heard from him was cowering to PC Police, allowing the left to set the terms of this debate, to tell him what’s permissible to say and what’s not. And when I hear that kind of bullying, I have to reject it forthwith.

“We will continue to condemn [such comments] in the strongest language possible and reitterate our commitment to running a positive loosing campaign based on the issues.”

If we are going to feign offense at using the opposition candidates middle name, then we’ve already lost the election. Sure, talk about the issues, but don’t make Barack Hussein Obama’s middle name an issue. You might as well use your middle finger to see which way the wind blows.

So… telling the truth now involves putting awkward emphasis on a guy’s middle name to darkly insinuate that he’s a crypto-muslim?

Gotcha.

Lehosh on February 27, 2008 at 9:06 PM

Why is it that so few seem to understand that it is not about how we perceive Obama? It is about trying to ascertain how our enemies perceive him so that we can get an idea of how it might effect us in the war.

Few liberals and Democrats have put in much effort trying to understand the ideology in order to understand the mindset. Many Republicans are late to the game as well, otherwise we would not see people like Rep. Sue Myrick organizing a group of people to become better informed.

My personal opinion of Obama is that he is more of a spiritualist than anything else.

But because he was born Muslim, the opinions of Islamists are what counts. So what are those opinions?

These are the questions.

Do Islamists consider him an apostate and thus even worse than one of us?

Do Islamists consider him a Muslim and thus one of them?

What are the possible consequences of either of the above as they relate to the WOT and appeasement of political Islam in our own country?

President Bush is a Christian, so it has been easy for them to say “We are waging war against the Crusaders!”

Will a President Obama alter this perception in any way and if so, how?

Hey, I don’t know whether it is a politically smart move to use the middle name of a Presidential candidate or not. But I’ll be danged if Juan ‘Amnesty’ McCain and the RNC are going to tell me what I can call him.

I do think that most of you are over-analyzing this; Most of the electorate is pretty stupid. Using ‘Hussein’ is possibly a more effective tool than anything else the RNC will come up with to subtly alter the (non-political junky) attitudes about Obama; The real things that they can attack him with will just go over the heads of those who have not yet firmly decided who they want to vote for.

Since the RinoNC and the early primary voters have saddled us with a candidate that few people can enthusiastically support, they don’t really deserve to tell those of us who feel that we are NOT represented by ‘our Party’ how to behave.
Scrooemall

Attacking Obama for things that are beyond his control such as his middle name, the schools his parents made him attend, the religion of his parents, and the color of his skin is counterproductive for McCain.

Sticking with the differences on those issues that are important to people and the fact that Obama has done very little with his time as a U.S. Senator is what McCain needs to talking about.

Out of the last three choices for President, Obama is by far the worst choice. Republican’s would be smart not to make his middle name a political issue, it will only galvinize his support and help him much in the same way the recent NYT smear attempt on McCain helped McCain. Trying to play “gotcha” over trivial things will work as well for McCain as they did for Clinton. Obama has been conducting himself as if he’s at the grown up table, which has been smart, watching his opponents commit political suicide trying to take him down on trivial issues because there aren’t any policy differences between the Democrats.

But in the General election, there are plenty of things that aren’t trivial to talk about, and some of that started today with Obama’s leave Iraq immediately but will go back into Iraq if needed flip flop.

Both the caring teachers and the authoritarian teachers failed. The small amount of time they could devote to me personally and inability they had to affect anything outside of the classroom was a situation that was destined to fail.

Is the discussion of Barack Obama and links to Islam out of bounds or just the idea of saying his middle name? Getting lathered up about this issue seems farcical. As someone who is a convert myself to a different religion than I was born into I would think it should be easy for him to manage and isn’t he able to defend himself. Why do we have to do it from our side?

The fact is that he has some major problems with his church he claims membership in and because of the man that is his spiritual mentor. Each and every time the people who use Obama’s middle name are shouted down or impugned as bigots, etc. etc. we cede a little more of the free speech battleground.

Exactly. Both sides of the argument are wrong because both presume that there is something wrong with Obama’s name. There isn’t, it’s just a name, it’s the facts that matter. That’s why I think it’s ridiculous for those on one side of this argument to be claiming the moral high ground while insinuating that those on the other side are all bigots and racists.

A little advice to Obama: If you are offended by your own middle name I suggest that you suck. it. up! Life just aint fair.

Over at LGF they had a thread on John McCain’s regrettable knock on the SBVFT. Its the same here, why does he go out of his way to alienate the people he needs the most. I think with not an iota of proof that he’s afraid of something in his Viet Nam past. He was on the committee investigating POW’S left behind in Viet Nam along with John Kerry, they buried the evidence and claimed there was none. We all know John Kerry’s motive, but what was McCain’s.

I use B. Hussein for a couple of reasons.
First, I detest when anyone refers to B. Hussein as the messiah and it really offends me when they capitalize messiah.
That is grossly offensive to many of us.
Jesus 2.0 is just as bad, but not as frequent.
That is the main reason I started using Hussein. After quite a few articles came out about his youth and school days and they showed obama was born a muslim, went to school as a muslim, prayed each and every day as a muslim, for a few years, it concerned me.
B. Hussein lied to us, he said he was never a muslim. His birth records, his school records, his teacher and many elementary school friends told us differently.
WHY did he lie to us?
THAT bothered me even more. What is he hiding?
His recent associates, many people he was with thru-out the 90′s and before, these associates include many anti-American radicals, including radical muslims. His ‘church’ and pastor of many, many years is bothersome, exhibiting nothing similar to what I would consider Christian. The pastor and church’s blatant racism, racism displayed prominently on their website, their all black primary purpose and mission statement, has nothing to do with Christ’s message of LOVE EVERYONE.
Now his wife comes out with anti-American sentiments in her speech, and her college thesis, showing us more racist ‘white is bad’ blame America first rhetoric.
SO….
When AP quits using ‘messiah’ when referring to B. Hussein here at HA I’ll consider not using his full or middle name.
IF Obama openly and honestly tells the world about his muslim past, what he believes today and WHY, then I’ll stop using B. Hussein for good.
I don’t know what he believes, where his heart is and what he will do in the future. His past is troubling to say the least.
If he wants to run the best country in the world as President and CIC, I/WE have earned the right to know.

Using a middle name as specifically derisive may be cause for backlash in an election or just maybe uncool; however its Sen. Obama who needs to own it, its his name is he ashamed or is he just willing to let us shame ourselves into losing?

Everybody gets to enjoy your name being made fun of, is he that sensitive? If he is, whats he going to do if Putin talks tough, cry?

He [McCain] was on the committee investigating POW’S left behind in Viet Nam along with John Kerry, they buried the evidence and claimed there was none. We all know John Kerry’s motive, but what was McCain’s.

Heh. No. no. I’m still in the place where I’m not voting for him in Nov. And I’m certainly not going to vote for him in the March 4th primary, here in Texas. On a side note, and forgive me AP for throwing in a distracting comment, but for those so inclined please pray for me and my wife, she is 5cm dilated and may squeeze out a kid tonight. I figured I could bring this up now since over 100 comments have been made and it is no longer the lead post on the main page. And also ‘cuz you guys are so freakin’ cool.

Using a middle name as specifically derisive may be cause for backlash in an election or just maybe uncool; however its Sen. Obama who needs to own it, its his name is he ashamed or is he just willing to let us shame ourselves into losing?

Speakup on February 27, 2008 at 10:27 PM

Right on. Through this entire controversy I’ve been wondering, has anybody asked Obama what he thinks of it? How does Obama feel about the fact that McCain has publicly apologized to Obama about Obama’s own name? If I were Obama, that’s what I would find particularly offensive.

Seriously to all of you who LOVE throwing his middle name around, what are you 5 years old? You KNOW what you are doing, you are insinuating he is a Muslim in a negative light by using his middle name. You NEVER use anyone elses middle name. You guys are so childish and stupid. Just stop it. Everyone watching and hearing republicans throwing that middle name around ASSUME that we are bigots and racists. It does NOTHING but HURT the conservative cause.

“I’m always hearing how McCain likes to reach across the aisle. My question is on which side of the aisle is he standing when he does it?”
Our side, calling him a Blue Skinned liberal is the height of hyperbole.

His middle name is Hussein, big F’N deal. What has he done in the US Senate? Nothing is what, just taking up space. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words. There is Barak with all the early candidates on an outside stage, everyone with their hands over their hearts reciting the pledge of allegiance. But, wait there’s one candidate hands clasp in front. Guess who? Oh another thing NO US FLAG ON HIS LAPEL EITHER.

STFU you stupid cow. You just don’t want anyone to know that Ron Paul’s middle name is Ernest. Ernest nutbag Paul and his ernest acolytes.

JiangxiDad on February 27, 2008 at 11:03 PM

Dude, that is laugh out loud funny, although you shouldn’t have cursed her. We all should be ashamed of ourselves for not knowing the blimp man is Ernest. Ernest Runs For President is the natural sequel to Ernest The Pirate. Thank you for reminding us JD.

And everyone is worried about using his middle name. What if it was a christian middle name would anyone have a problem with the middle name. I now christen Barak; Barak Harold Obama. He still can have his monogram BHO. Now everyone is happy I know I am. / Sarc off/

People we got to be debating the issues, not if we can or can not use BHM’s middle name.

Sarc on click/ Now another word bites the dust from the english language. The word is Hussein, will now be known as the H word. Sarc off click\

McCain didn’t mention the SBVFT by name. Did you realize that nutbar Ted Sampley has appropriated the SBV logo and is using it on his crazy flyers…without permission?

Alex Jones featured Mr. Sampley on his radio show recently. Lovely people.

McCain isn’t gonna play nice with folks like Sampley and race baiters after what they did to him and his adopted daughter in 2000. The RNC should have cracked down on those folks in 2000, but better late than never.

Did I say the war wasn’t a big deal? No, I said it is the only thing we have on him.

To answer your question about abortion. Yes, I care about it. But, since Roe V. Wade we have had 23 out of the 35 years since that decision with a R in the White House. How’s that been working out for us?

Do I care about spending? Yes. But, do I believe that John McCain will oppose big spending. He might to some extent.

You lose on the judge issue pal. Gang of 14, anyone? How about his saying Roberts was too conservative. EPIC FAIL.

Do I care about Obama screwing the nation. Yes, but J-Mac will do his best to screw it up by opening the flood gates for more illegals, kill our pharma companies, appoint judges liberals are cool with, etc. and so on.

Whichever way, our nation is screwed for the next 4 years.

As for using our heads… Dr. heal thyself.

Blarg the Destroyer on February 27, 2008 at 9:24 PM

Did I say the war wasn’t a big deal?

National security must not be a priority with you, as you are an unpaid agent of the DNC, whether you know it or not.

How’s that been working out for us?

Oh it can get much worse with even more moonbat judges all over our nation like horse manure.

Do I care about spending? Yes. But, do I believe that John McCain will oppose big spending. He might to some extent.

He’s one of the few Republicans that has opposed our big spending POTUS and Congress for years, so I would think so.

Gang of 14, anyone?

I’m quite glad we have our SCOTUS judges w/out having to use the “nuclear option”. Why? BECAUSE WE ARE NOW IN THE MINORITY FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. Think about it.

EPIC FAIL.

Yes, I agree that whatever brand of “logic” was behind your post was a function and result of just that.

If I were Obama I would probably reveal to the press tomorrow something to the effect that, “I’m proud of my name. And I found it somewhat—troubling—that McCain presumed to apologize to me, not once, but twice, for my own name. My heritage is what makes me who I am and I like to think of myself as—worthy.”

I think he could score some easy points with his base against McCain on this.

And everyone is worried about using his middle name. What if it was a christian middle name would anyone have a problem with the middle name. I now christen Barak; Barak Harold Obama. He still can have his monogram BHO. Now everyone is happy I know I am. / Sarc off/

People we got to be debating the issues, not if we can or can not use BHM’s middle name.

Sarc on click/ Now another word bites the dust from the english language. The word is Hussein, will now be known as the H word. Sarc off click\

USMCDevilDog on February 27, 2008 at 11:25 PM

I call people by the names they present themselves with. Isn’t that how it works? This puke Cunningham is trying to be cute. This is obvious, even for a Marine ;-)

He [McCain] was on the committee investigating POW’S left behind in Viet Nam along with John Kerry, they buried the evidence and claimed there was none. We all know John Kerry’s motive, but what was McCain’s.

His middle name is Hussein, big F’N deal. What has he done in the US Senate? Nothing is what, just taking up space. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words. There is Barak with all the early candidates on an outside stage, everyone with their hands over their hearts reciting the pledge of allegiance. But, wait there’s one candidate hands clasp in front. Guess who? Oh another thing NO US FLAG ON HIS LAPEL EITHER.

Why does McCain want to be the leader of a party he feels he has to constantly rebuke for being bigots and xenophobes, anyway? Puzzling.

FloatingRock on February 27, 2008 at 11:36 PM

I agree. Obama should be insulted that McCain presumptuously feels the need to apologize for people using his name all the time, as if there’s something wrong or evil about it. Telling everyone that he’s not insulted and that he’s in fact proud of his heritage would go a very long way with his base indeed.

I call people by the names they present themselves with. Isn’t that how it works?

toliver on February 27, 2008 at 11:39 PM

So you would never stoop so low as to call Bill Clinton, BJ Clinton, for example? You would honor his wish to be called Bill Clinton even if you despised the man? You’ve never said Hillary Rodham Clinton? How ‘about Jimma Freakin Carter?

This puke Cunningham is trying to be cute. This is obvious, even for a Marine ;-)

Oh, gosh no, trying to be cute? How terrible. There aught ta be a law! Hey, I’ve got an idea; let’s talk to McCain about tweaking the 1st amendment some more. It needs to be updated with a Hussein clause.

And where is the outrage at calling the current president “Dubya”? Or, for that matter, “Bushitler” or “Shrub” or “Chimpy McHalliburton”? Or any number of other nasty monikers attached to the POTUS … or any other member of the current administration?

In a similar vein, where is the outrage at the snarking against William F. Buckley at the news of his death?

Why is Sampley Attacking McCain?
Why is Sampley attacking McCain? I believe there are three reasons:

McCain’s support of normal relations with Vietnam;
McCain’s refusal to be drawn into the “live POW” whirlpool; and
McCain’s attempts to expose the questionable fund-raising that surrounds the MIA issue.
McCain’s Position on US-Vietnam Relations and on the “Live-POW” Question
In the late 1980′s, McCain took the position that the US should move toward normal diplomatic relations with Vietnam in return for their increased cooperation on the MIA issue. Sampley recognized — as does the rest of the “activist” community — that such talk in high places can be disastrous to their efforts to recruit and to raise money. Their recruiting and fund raising pitch is the same: US POWs are still being held, alive, in Vietnam and we need just a few more dollars from you to free them.

As US researchers probe into Vietnamese wartime records, and as US search teams recover remains from crashsites and battlefield gravesites, the number of unaccounted for Americans goes down. More importantly, it is clear from the information collected that no American POWs were retained in captivity after Operation Homecoming. The “activists” do not want this information to become known because they depend on folks falling prey to their claims and then donating money or other support — such as the proliferation of “POW-MIA Remembrance Sites” on the WWW.

McCain refused to be drawn into the live POW battles and he continued to support normal US-Vietnam relations. For a returned POW to take these two positions was more than the “activist” community could stand.

McCain’s Exposure of Frauds
In the closing days of the SSC, a hearing was held that focused on individuals and groups who are raising money on the MIA issue. A friend of mine who was on the SSC staff briefed McCain on the money-raising activities and McCain was incensed that anyone would play on the emotions of families to enrich themselves. McCain wanted to hold a hearing that would expose these activities. There was, however, a problem. McCain’s two main targets were former congressman Billy Hendon and Sampley’s Homecoming II with its vigil booth on the Mall, selling T-shirts and other paraphernalia. Senator Bob Smith, Vice-chair of the SSC, was godfather and protector to Hendon and Sampley. He intervened with SSC Chair John Kerry and watered down the hearings into questionable fund raising so that Hendon and Sampley were not targets.

UPDATE: January 2008
In January 2008 McCain won the Republican primary election in New Hampshire and immediately Sampley’s propaganda machine cranked up. Sampley is the sponsor ( with his identity concealed, of course ) of a website named “Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain.” On this website he repeats his many lies about McCain and he has added a few, accusing McCain of covering up evidence of US POW’s still held in SEAsia long after the end of the Vietnam War.

Because the mainstream press does not check facts as they should, you can expect some of Sampley’s crap to be reported as fact. And, because Sampley is closely tied to several far-right-wing Republicans who do not like McCain, you can expect his nonsense to be spread through such outlets as Newsmax and the Sciafe newspapers.

But, he would never do that, because then this stupid issue is a non issue from now on.

Saltysam on February 27, 2008 at 11:48 PM

Maybe so, but imagine the position McCain would suddenly find himself in. His people would be on the defensive, scrambling to control the damage with a quick response, which I could only imagine would be yet another apology concerning the exact same incident, however this time McCain would find himself in the same position that Cunningham was in just yesterday when McCain promptly threw him under the bus.

So you would never stoop so low as to call Bill Clinton, BJ Clinton, for example? You would honor his wish to be called Bill Clinton even if you despised the man? You’ve never said Hillary Rodham Clinton? How ‘about Jimma Freakin Carter?
FloatingRock on February 27, 2008 at 11:47 PM

Not on the campaign trail. Not if I wanted myself or my candidate to be elected. I’d save that BS for the bar, where it belongs.

Oh, gosh no, trying to be cute? How terrible. There aught ta be a law! Hey, I’ve got an idea; let’s talk to McCain about tweaking the 1st amendment some more. It needs to be updated with a Hussein clause.

FloatingRock on February 27, 2008 at 11:47 PM

The Republican Congress passed McCain-Feingold. A Republican POTUS signed McCain-Feingold. A marginally right leaning SCOTUS didn’t knock down McCain-Feingold.

Get over it. I did.

If you want to say Obama is an Iraqi agent or something otherwise silly, COME RIGHT OUT AND EXPOSE YOURSELF AS AN IDIOT. Why be cute about it?

I read a lot of entries last night and it seemed like you were taking it upon yourself to attempt to conduct purges of not only the blog but the party. It is clear that you feel frustrated by people not agreeing with you but constantly asking people to leave or telling them to leave, etc. may make it less likely to persuade them to your point of view.

I, for one, think it is perfectly acceptable to talk about Hussein as a middle name. It opens a wonderful opportunity to discuss the system ideas that we are in a desperate battle against. If my middle name was Hussein and I had rejected Islam. I would change it.

Is it also ok to always call him “the black candidate Barack Obama”?
freevillage on February 28, 2008 at 12:28 AM

Is that his name?

Actually, I’ve heard several references in the MSM that Barack is half black. That’s how I found out. It doesn’t seem to be a problem, and why should it be? Are you saying there is something wrong with being black, or half black?

OK, a question for people who think it is ok to call Obama “Baraсk Hussein Obama”.by his full name.
Is it also ok to always call him “the black candidate Barack Obama”not his full name? For example would you object to an ad saying that “people should choose McCain and not the black candidate Barack Obama”?

I don’t think the comparison is quite accurate but I do see your point. Because freedom of speech is so important to most people (McCain not included) I actually don’t have a problem with listing it like that but I don’t think it would be very persuasive. By emphasizing “Hussein” it would force Obama to take a position on the ideology with which we are currently at war. I don’t know if he has repudiated that system of belief and the inherent incompatability with the free system upon which this country was founded. This an important discussion and I certainly wouldn’t shy away from discussing it because of some PC expectation.

On the issues, he is the most Liberal Senator, what has he really done – his accomplishments, his record and his paper trail. His silly health care plan and how disasterous it will be for the American public – imagine dealing with something like the Post office when you need medical help. His ties to the former Weathermen, although I am not so sure that has been verified, I think it might be another Alex Jones type production.

What exactly are his complete plans going forward, which we haven’t really seen or heard. I haven’t been paying the least bit of attention to his plans actually, because I wasn’t planning on voting for him. I heard a little about his positions from my twin brother on Sunday, but I didn’t hear allot.

I just hate the Far Right as much as I detest the Far Left. I’m with O’Reilly when it comes to these types, I would like to destroy them as much as he would – and just like him also destroy that gd horse they rode in on into the GOP.

In my fantasy video game life I would be a Soldier of Fortune hunting wingnuts and moonbats and bringing them to justice.